Lady Broncos add Tekoa-Rosalia, Asotin games to winning streak

3-POINTER. Peyton Curtis prepares to shoot a three-point bucket for the Lady Broncos during their league game against Asotin on Jan. 27. -Journal photo by Katelin Davidson

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Lady Broncos basketball team added two more Northeast 2B South League wins on the path to the postseason.

On Jan. 26, the Lady Broncos recorded a 62-47 league win against Tekoa-Rosalia. The next day they returned to Gilson Gym to defeat Asotin, 54-26.

The victories against the Lady Timberwolves and Lady Panthers, bring LRS’ winning streak to four games. The Lady Broncos, who are 7-6 in league play and 9-7 overall, sit in third place in the NE 2B South League standings.

Head Coach Steve Wellsandt said it was another good week for LRS.

LRS had a strong start against the Lady Timberwolves on Friday, leading 19-15 after the first quarter with Peyton Curtis scoring 12 points.

The Lady Broncos continued their strong offense in the second quarter, adding 18 points to lead 37-29 after the first half.

The Lady Broncos maintained their lead in the third quarter after they outscored the Lady Timberwolves, 14-6, then added 11 points in the final eight minutes of the game.

Curtis led both teams in scoring with 27 points while Eliza Galbreath had a standout game with 20 points. Lacey Miller added seven points and Brooke Koch scored three. Julia Klein and Linnea Schafer had two points each, and Abby Gering recorded one.

Wellsandt said he was proud of the team’s performance on offense and defense in the TR and Asotin games. He noted the team has shown a lot of progress since their first game against the Lady Panthers, where they lost 59-47.

Wellsandt said he also saw strong performances and contributions from starters and bench players in both games.

The Lady Broncos’ shooting percentage continues to improve, Wellsandt added. The team is also making more lay-ins, which is something they worked on in practice.

Wellsandt was also impressed with how the Lady Broncos utilized their defense to prevent the Lady Timberwolves from taking the lead during the game.

The Lady Broncos continued their momentum against Asotin, outscoring the Lady Panthers 15-14 in the first quarter and maintaining the lead for the entirety of the game.

LRS executed their offense, scoring 16 points in both the second and third quarters, then added seven in the final eight minutes.

Wellsandt said he was once again pleased with how the Lady Broncos utilized their defense to hold the Lady Panthers to 26 points.

Galbreath led both teams in scoring with 18 points. Wellsandt said Galbreath performed well in scoring and rebounds in the last two games.

Curtis also hit double digits in scoring with 14 points, as did Schafer, who had 12 points.

Wellsandt said Schafer has become one of the team’s consistent defensive players and he has been assigning her to guard experienced athletes on the other teams.

Wellsandt said Gering has been improving on the court since she recovered from illness.

The Lady Broncos wrap up their regular season with three games. On Jan. 30, LRS played Reardan in Gilson Gym on Senior Night.

The Lady Broncos are 1-0 against Reardan this season, having defeated them 56-42 on Dec. 12.

Although LRS has a victory against Reardan, Wellsandt said the Lady Indians are a tough team no matter where they are in the league and the Lady Broncos will need to be prepared for a challenge at home.

If LRS defeats Reardan, they will maintain their third-place spot in the NE 2B South conference standings.

Prior the game, senior athletes Alisha Baker, Curtis, Gering and O’Brien, were honored for their contributions to the team.

The last two games for LRS will be the most challenging. They travel to Liberty on Feb. 2 to play the Lady Lancers, who are first in the conference standings. The next day the Lady Broncos will travel to Colfax to play the second-place Lady Bulldogs in their last game of the regular season.

The Lady Broncos endured losses to both teams earlier in the season. On Dec. 15, LRS lost to Liberty, 58-50 at home and then suffered a 71-34 loss to Colfax the next night.

While Liberty and Colfax have wins against LRS, Wellsandt said he expects the Lady Broncos to play better against both teams in their rematches.